Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. Our Great Depression is our lives. We've been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

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Monday, October 23, 2006

I know I recently said I avoid getting political here, but I can't help myself.

60 Minutes did another piece on Darfur last night. If you didn't see it, you can learn all you need to know (or that you already know) at Save Darfur. What I did NOT know (and maybe I am the last) is that the current U.S. administration is soft on the Sudanese government because they pass along information, drips and drabs on our current "war against terror" because at one time the cats there housed the same cats who have waged terror against the U.S. And that quid pro quo is something we are apparently willing to protect.

2.5 million people are displaced. 400,000 people have died. But at least we give them some lentils.

It's so easy to pontificate what should be done from my computer, inside my home with my child sleeping safely and with a full stomach. It's so easy for me to get distracted, to forget that hundreds of thousands of children are dying, are terrified, are hungry and alone. It's so easy to be full of one's self.

It's hard to understand why we are sitting passive during the worst genocide of our lifetime (aside from Pol Pot following Nixon's destabilization of Cambodia). It's so hard to understand how I spend my days doing nothing about this. And it's so hard to understand that there is a part of the world that is engaged in unspeakable horror and we can sit by and let it happen.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those of us, who in great moral crisis, sit and do nothing.

I am going to contribute to Save Darfur. If you are compelled to do the same, let me know, and I'll match it (to a certain amount - on the off chance one of you is a secret heiress). It might not be much, but it's something, and like I said a few days ago, rage is better suited to action than to words.

I love it when you're political in your blog! We ignored the genocide in Rwanda, and I'm still shocked that this could happen in the world without people speaking up. The same is true of Sudan. People have been displaced for years--living in Uganda and Kenya and elsewhere. It only takes looking in the face of ONE starving child to understand what a delicate balance lives are in.

I totally feel stupid making this comment here, but I'm going to anyways. I saw your comment on the struggles you're having with the meme. I struggled too 'cause I though B&P's was great and because I was totally indecisive. But don't worry about it. As Nike says, just do it. I keep checking back here just to see if you've done it yet...

Thank you for writing this and, shit ya, we should be political in our posts where we think it necessary. It seems I'm always getting political on my blog. I've written about everything from AIDS in Africa to the importance of locally produced art and culture. But you are right, writing about it is one thing, acting on it is another. I promise that tomorrow I will send a cheque to the Stephen Lewis foundation (read my plea for it here: http://madhattermommy.blogspot.com/2006/05/caveat.htmland a cheque to the Save Darfur fund. I won't tell you what I am giving b/c I don't expect you to match me. I already know that you will do your best.

part of me is speechless. it's hard to find words that adequately express my rage/horror/guilt/powerless feelings when it comes to what is going on in Africa---from the Ivory Coast to Darfur. i wish there was something that i could do that would give me that "roll up your sleeves" feeling-- mainly because it suits my refusal to delegate personality. that said, i am relatively planted and low on resources. maybe we could put our bloggy heads together and come up with something!

I get even further saddened when I think about the way things might be different, the way America might care more, or enough to do something, if either the people themselves were not brown skinned or if the country had some great resource we could exploit. I know that is a very pessimistic world view, and normally I'm an optimist, but not when it comes to race and economics.

The horrible situation in Darfur is almost impossible for me to imagine. Even more unimaginable is the lack of support flowing to these people. Thanks for getting me off my well-fed, warm, safe, clothed butt and helping a little.

Jen, you amaze me. You are like the world's twin sister, feeling everyone's pain as your own. And, you inspire me. I will break my normal rule and make a donation. You don't have to match it, my company does that as well. In fact, whatever I would have normally donated, I will match myself. In that vain, it would be doubled again. I am terrible at keeping up with the horrors going on. Partly because it hurts so much to think about. But, being a baby is no excuse for turning a blind eye. Thanks for the throttling. I needed that. I'm so glad you are there and being political on your blog. You are one special lady, indeed.

It's overwhelming to wrap one's brain around - let alone do something - about the evil, sad, desperate, violent realities that people in this world face, whether they're living in your town or on the other side of the world. There's so much need.

And yes, in our cushy little corner we agonize over whether to order in or take out, and wonder if we'd look better at the preschool pick-up line in a red or black Hummer. Oh how we suffer.

Thanks for being outraged and encouraging others to be aware and step up. Kudos!

It feels gross to know that we have a government that has a price for silence. A fairly low price. Why can't we be the kind of nation that does the right thing, because it's right and not expedient.I suppose that's too pollyanna, but i feel ashamed of us.Going off to donate.

Referred over by momish to your post. I have to admit that I am ignorant about this. Why doesn't the media talk about it more? Or maybe they do and I just haven't heard about it. I will go read more on the link you provided.

I think that it is great that you are posting on these "political" topics - though I would say it's more of a human topic than a political one. The more we post on these issues to help discuss and inform each other, the better. Great post.

About Me

The story of a free-spirited woman who after much living had a baby and until recently was in charge of a non profit that helped to get people off the streets.
But I've left it all behind to move to the jungle and figure out a way to live more sustainably while seeing more of the world.
It took us five years and we still aren't quite sure what we are doing but we are doing it anyways.